Through Addiction Detox and Beyond

Supporting a Loved One Through Addiction Detox and Beyond

 By Dr.Fourkan Ali

Addiction detox is often the first step on the road to recovery from a substance abuse problem. Those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol will need to abstain from the substance to which they are addicted before they can learn how to live without it. However, getting sober is often much harder than it sounds.

To those with no experience of addiction and the hold it can have on a person, all an individual has to do to get better is stop drinking or stop taking drugs. However, when it comes to addictions such as alcoholism, it is never that easy.

Support

Actress Denise Welch knows better than most of the grip that alcoholism can have on a person and how it is not as simple as just not having another drink to overcome addiction. Denise’s struggle with alcohol has been well documented, with the star often speaking candidly about her illness.

Nevertheless, she has been keen to point out that the support of her husband Lincoln Townley has helped her to beat her demons. She has spoken about the fact that she was in a bad way when she first met Lincoln, adding, “We were party animals, two people in a mess when we first met. My marriage was in freefall, and I was drinking too much.”

When Denise first met Lincoln, she was married to actor Tim Healy and had been for twenty-four years. Nonetheless, her addiction to alcohol was threatening to spiral out of control, and she admits that her relationship with Lincoln could easily have become a disaster.

Life After Addiction

Denise said, “Being with Lincoln could have been the most explosive disaster, but it went the opposite way. We’ve been each other’s anchor.”

Denise, who is fifteen years older than Lincoln, said that the pair received plenty of criticism when they married, with some even joking that she had married her carer. However, the couple has managed to help each other with their addictive behaviour. Lincoln himself had admitted to alcohol and drug abuse in the past and said that life before Denise was ‘bleak’. He added, “I could so easily be dead now. Without doubt. I would drink all day and then start consuming drugs through the afternoon, then more heavily in the evening, and go on until the early morning.”

Both Denise and Lincoln, who is a professional artist, have managed to turn their lives around with the support of each other, and Lincoln’s paintings, in particular, have become hugely successful. Lincoln said, “We encouraged one another to pursue what matters most. As a couple, we have positive energy constantly flowing through us.”

Recognising the Problem

Denise and Lincoln have proved that with the right support and help, it is possible to come out the other side of addiction with a future that you can look forward to. Many addicts are unable to see a future without the substance to which they are addicted, and this can hold them back and prevent them from getting the help they need.

Others are unable to recognise the signs of addiction in themselves, and until they do, addiction detox and rehabilitation will be pointless. Many family members and friends will despair at the fact that they are unable to get their loved one to see the damage that addiction is causing.

An intervention may be the best way to get an addicted person to come to terms with the fact that addiction is a very real problem. Arranging an intervention is something that you can take care of yourself or, if you prefer, you can hire the services of a professional interventionist. Here at Addiction Helper, we can put you in touch with a professional facilitator or we can provide you with advice on how to stage your own intervention.

Addiction Treatment

Once you have managed to get a loved one to accept the diagnosis of addiction, you can begin to think about the next steps. The road to recovery usually includes addiction detox in the first instance. It is necessary for recovering addicts to be completely clean and free from substances such as alcohol or drugs before starting rehab.

Detox is typically carried out in a supervised facility where medical professionals are on hand to react should there be any complications. An addiction detox in a supervised facility is the most comfortable and safe way for an addict to get clean.

Rehabilitation follows detox. Differentiating between the two is important. While getting clean is crucial, it is more important for the recovering addict to learn how to live without alcohol or drugs going forward, which is often the most difficult part of recovery.

Having relied on these chemical substances for so long, it is difficult for addicts to know what they should be doing with themselves. Many do not know how to handle stressful situations in a positive manner, and this is something that they will have to learn through rehab. Thankfully, with the help of professional counsellors and therapists, it is possible to get sober and stay sober.

Source: ‘website